Automatic indicia changing mechanism for marking machines



June 27, 1967 YQUNGQUEST ET AL 3,327,625

AUTOMATIC INDICIA CHANGING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS HOWARD YOUNGQUEST KENNETH W.J. GARDINER M A MWL, Law

ATTORNEYS June 27, 1967 YQUNGQUEST ET AL 3,327,625

AUTOMATIC INDICIA CHANGING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MACHINES Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HOWARD YOUNGQUEST BYKENNETH W. J.GARDINER M W wocw ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,327,625 AUTOMATIC INDICIA CHANGING MECHANISM FOR MARKING MACHINES Howard Youngquest, Yorktown Heights, and Kenneth W. J. Gardiner, Elmsford, N.Y., assignors to Pinnacle Products Corporation, Elrnsford, N.Y., a corporation of New York Fiied May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,754 tllairns. (Cl. 10195) The present invention relates to laundry marking machines of the type wherein a tag having indentifiable indicia printed thereon is formed from a roll of heat-sealable tape which passes through a printing station where a series of printing rolls print such indicia on one face thereof and the tag is then heat and pressure sealed to a garment or the like before laundering or dry cleaning. After laundering of the garments or other articles, the tags enable the laundry or other cleaning establishment properly to sort out and collect all of the articles for a particular customer or bundle. Machines of this type are illustrated and described in US. Patents Nos. 2,- 654,495 and 2,654,496. They are also in extensive commercial use in the United States and are available commercially from applicants a'ssignee Pinnacle Products Corporation, of Elmsford, New Yorksuch machines being known as the Polymark Laundry Marking Machine Mark III. More particularly, the present invention provides for such a marking machine an automatic indicia changing mechanism which will shift the printing rolls to the next succeeding number or identifying means when all of the garments of one bundle have been marked with the identical number or indicia.

In laundry marking machines of the foregoing type wherein a continuous roll of heat-scalable tape is fed to printing, cutting and sealing stations, the printing station customarily has a series of printing rolls bearing indicia on their peripheries in the form of either numbers or letters. In one such machine three printing rolls each carrying numbers from 0 to 9 are so arranged that they can be moved in stepped relation and successively print identifying numbers from 000 to 999. Such a machine customarily has a manual means for changing the printing rolls to the next succeeding number after all of the garments or other articles in a particular bundle have been marked with the identical number. The manual means for changing the numbers is sometimes referred to as the quick advance lever.

If after marking all of the garments in a particular bundle the operator should fail to operate the quick advance lever and hence fail to change the identifying number, a mix-up in the laundry items comprising two bundles will result.

It is also customary practice in laundry and like operations to have a sheet or card which lists all of the items in the bundle. In connection with the operation of one of the machines of the type referred to a clip board is provided on such machine where the laundry list is held under a spring clamp in full view of the operator-4t being recommended practice that one of the identifying tags be applied to the laundry list, sheet or card so as to relate the list with the items of the bundle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in such a laundry marking machine automatic means for changing the printing wheels to the next succeeding number as soon as all of the articles have been marked, without relying upon the operator to make this change manually.

With this and other objects in View the present invention provides in a laundry marking machine of the class described an automatic indicia changing mechanism which is Patented June 27, 1967 actuated either when the laundry sheet, list or card is placed on the clip board and retained by the spring clamp, or when it is removed from the clip board. In either event the printing rolls are moved to the next succeeding number with each succeeding laundry list, card or sheet representing one bundle or customer.

In accomplishing this We provide at the printing station a rotary solenoid having a central shaft and linkages connecting such shaft to the quick advance lever so that when the solenoid is energized the quick advance lever will be depressed and the printing rolls will be moved to the next succeeding number. In order to actuate the solenoid we provide a circuit including such solenoid having a source of direct current, a capacitor for accumulating direct current voltage, and a switch for closing the circuit between the capacitor and the solenoid. The switch preferably is of the button type of micro-switch and is located beneath the edge of the spring clamp on the clip board, the edge of the clamp being preferably cut out or notched to accommodate the switch button and not depress the same. When a laundry list, sheet or card is placed on the clip board under the clamp the switch will be actuated and will close the circuit to discharge the capacitor and actuate the solenoid and move the quick advance lever of the printing wheel mechanism to the next succeeding number. Alternatively, the switch may be so arranged as to close the circuit upon removal of the laundry list, sheet or card from the clip board, in which event the printing wheels will be automatically moved to the next succeeding number at the finish of each bundle.

For a more detailed understanding of the present invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a laundry marking machine of the type described incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing the mechanism for automatically changing a printing roll to the next succeeding number.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the control box assembly for actuating the mechanism shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an electric circuit diagram.

A laundry marking machine 10 to which the present invention pertains is shown in perspective view in FIG. 1 and generally comprises a roll of tape 11, a pressure head 12 including a thermostat and heating unit, a cutting mechanism for forming a tag from such tape, a printing roll assembly 14 for printing identifiable indicia on such tag and a manually operated handle bar 15 which is moved by the operator and applies the tag to the laundry article under heat and pressure when the laundry article is placed in registry with the tag and the handle bar 15 is moved by the operator. As before stated, laundry marking machines of this general type are illustrated and described in US. Patents Nos. 2,654,495 and 2,654,496.

In one type of laundry marking machine to which the present invention is particularly adaptable there are three printing rollers at the printing station 14 hearing numbers 000 to 999 which are progressively movable by one digit by what is known in the art as a quick release lever. Prior to the present invention this quick release lever was customarily moved manually by the operator after the individual articles of a bundle of laundry had been marked with the identical number or indicia such as 127. Thus, after marking all of the articles of a bundle individually the operator would press the lever 16 downwardly to change the printing rollers to read the next succeeding number such as 128 and all articles in the next bundle would be marked with this number. As before stated,

laundry marking machines of this type are in extensive commercial use in the United States and are available commercially from applicants assignee Pinnacle Products Corporation, of Elmsford, N.Y., and are known as the Polymark Laundry Marking Machine Mark III.

In laundry marking machines of the type described it is also customary to have a laundry list clip board 20 having a spring actuated clamp 21 and a clamping edge 22 so that the laundry list or card for each bundle can .be clipped on the clip board in full view of the operator so that each article can be checked against the list as it is separately tagged. It is also customary for the operator to apply either the first or last tag to he laundry list so that the identifying indicia on each article of the bundle will correspond to the same indicia applied to the list. Thus, in the example given, the number 127" would also appear on the tag adhered to the laundry list.

The tags which are adhered to each article included in the bundle are capable of withstanding a laundering or dry cleaning operation, but are readily removable'when the finished bundle is finally assembled. An unsealed or tab portion is usually provided on each tag to facilitate removal.

The laundry marking machine shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings has thus far been described without reference to the present invention and constitutes the type of prior art machine to which the present invention is particularly applicable.

According to the present invention the machine is provided with a mechanism for automatically actuating the quick release lever 16 to move it to its next succeeding number, such mechanism being generally contained in housing 25 and including a depending connection rod 26 which is shown as having an inturned finger engaged in a hole in the quick release lever 16. The present invention also provides a cutout or notched portion 30 on the clamping edge 22 of the spring clamp 21 of the clip board 20 so as to accommodate a spring-actuated depressible button 31 of a micro switch disposed below the clip board. On the underface of the clip board (as viewed in FIG. 1), there is mounted all of the electrical components shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings which will later be described. The clip board is attached to the side of the laundry marking machine by a suitable bracket 32.

Referring now to FIG. 2 which shows the mechanism for automatically changing a printing roll to the next succeeding number, it will be noted that such mechanism comprises a standard 35 secured to the housing 36 of the printing roll assembly 14. Supported by said standard 35 is a solenoid 37 which has an axial shaft 38 to which is attached a crank 39 for rotation therewith. The connecting link 26 is pivotally connected at 41 to the outer end of the crank 39. The other end of the connecting link 26 is pivotally connected at 42 to the quick release lever 16 by inturned finger portion 28 which engages in a hole provided in such lever.

Referring now to the printing wheel mechanism which is shown in FIG. 2 within the printing roll housing 36, it will be noted that only one printing wheel 45 has been shown. It will be understood however that a plurality of such wheels may be used each bearing indicia from to 9 and operated as counting wheels so that with three such printing wheels the indicia marked by such rolls can successively change from 000 to 999.

The one printing wheel 45 shown in FIG. 2 has a plurality of printing characters 46, 46a, 46b and 460, and so on. Each of the printing characters 46 is raised from the periphery of the printing wheel. In the construction'shown there are ten such characters preferably numbered 0 to 9 inclusive. The lowermost character 46 is the one which does the actual printing operation on the tag. The printing wheel surface inwardly of the printing characters is in the form of a ratchet having pawl-engaging teeth 50 and cammingsurfaces 51. The quick release lever 16 has a strap 52 which is rotatable on the shaft 53 for the printing wheel 45, said strap having an ear 55 projecting therefrom having a hole 56 to which is attachedv the lower end of tension spring 57, said tension spring normally holding the quick release lever 16 in its upward position as shown in full line in FIG. 2. Pivotally mounted on the strap 52 and lever 16 is a pawl 60 which has a torsion spring 61 which normally urges said pawl into engagement with a ratchet tooth 50 provided on the printing Wheel, said torsion spring being anchored at 62.

It will be understood that when the quick release lever 16 is moved from its full line position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in phantom the pawl 60 operating against the ratchet on printing wheel 45 will move printing character 46b to the position of printing character 46a. At the same time printing character 46a will be moved to the position of printing character 46 and hence will be in the lowermost or printing position. Upon release of pressure on lever 16 the tension spring 57 will restore lever 16 to its full line position shown in FIG. 2 and the pawl 60 will ride up cam surface 51 until it engages the next tooth -of the ratchet provided on the printing wheel 45. Lever 16 is provided with sufiicient downward motion to move printing wheel 45 one step or one character at a time.

It will be understood that in prior art laundry marking machines the quick release lever 16 was intended to be moved manually by the operator of the machine to move the printing wheels by one character whenever a bundle was changed.-

As mentioned above, the present invention provides a mechanism for automatically actuating the quick release lever 16 when a bundle of laundry articles has been suitably marked and the laundry list or card is removed from the clip board or a new card is placed thereon. In accomplishing this the present invention provides an electrical circuit shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings wherein A.C. current is rectified by a well-known silicone diode rectifier 65, is placed in series with a resistor 66 in parallel with a capacitor 67 and inseries with a rotary solenoid 37. A normally closed micro switch 68 is actuated by push button 31. It will be understoodthat the rotary solenoid is designed-to turn through approximately a angle and is preferably provided with a stop to limit its angular rotation. The solenoid has a spring return for restoring it to its starting position when de-energized. The solenoid is a commercially available part which is purchased from Ledex Inc., of Dayton, Ohio. It is known as a Ledex rotary solenoid, size 65, stock model part number S8205 029. It has a right rotary stroke and a scroll type return spring.

It will be noted that when the switch 68 is closed a small amount of current will flow through the rectifier, resistor, solenoid and switch without any charge being built up on the capacitor 67 and without the solenoid being caused to rotate. When the switch 68 is open a charge will accumulate on the capacitor 67 within its capacitive limits. In practice it has been found that a 300 microfarad capacitor functions well. The capacitor 67 is a purchased item which is available commercially from Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, Division of Federal Pacific Electric Company, of Newark, NJ. The particular capacitor used, having a capacity of 300 microfarads, is Universal Catalog No. BRBOO-ISO. When the switch 68 is again closed the accumulated charge on the capacitor 67 will energize the solenoid and move it approximately 90.

When the exception of the solenoid all of the other electrical components shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 are illustrated perspectively in FIG. 3. By referring to this figure it will be noted that a U-shaped mounting box has an alternating current input lead 71 connected to the rectifier 65 which in turn is connected to the resistor 66 from which one lead 72 in parallel goes to the capacitor 67 and another lead 73 goes to a female socket 74 Y for connection to the solenoid 37. One of the leads 75 from the female socket 74 goes to the micro switch 68 and a second lead 76 returns to the A.C. line. The button 31 for actuating the micro switch is shown in dotted line in FIG. 3.

It will be understood that the electrical component assembly as shown in FIG. 3 is actually mounted upside down beneath the clip board 20 so that the button 31 protrudes through the upper surface of the clip board and in the notch provided in the clamping edge 22 of spring clamp 21, as shown in FIG. 1.

With this construction and arrangement of parts and the switch 68 in a normally closed position it will be understood that before a laundry list or card is inserted on the clip board the printing wheels will be in a static position, there will be no charge on the capacitor 67, and the quick release lever and associated mechanism will be in its uppermost or full line position as shown in FIG. 2. Hence, when an operator starts to tag a bundle of laundry with identical tags she should first tag the laundry list or card before inserting it on the clip board. As soon as the card has been inserted on the clip board it will depress button 31 open switch 68 and permit a charge to accumulate on capacitor 67. She should then continue to mark or tag each article in the bundle which will carry the same indicia as applied to the card. When the last article has been marked the card is removed from the clip board, switch 68 is closed and the charge on the capacitor 67 is discharged actuating solenoid 37 and moving it through an arc of approximately 90. When the solenoid 37 is rotated through this predetermined arc crank 39 moves with it and connecting link 26 depresses the quick release lever 16 to its phantom position shown in FIG. 2 and the printing wheel is moved to the next succeeding number ready for marking the next laundry bundle with different identifying indicia. The spring return for the solenoid then returns it to its full line position. The operator first numbers the card for the next bundle before plac ing the card on the clip board and then follows the procedure outlined above.

It will be understood that if the switch 68 with its actuating button 31 is normally open instead of normally closed, the only change in the operation of the device would be that the card should be inserted first on the clip board to close the switch 63 to discharge the capacitor and rotate the solenoid so as to change the printing wheel assembly to the next succeeding number before any tagging is done. With this arrangement the card should be marked at the end of the bundle and not at the start of the bundle.

Having now described our invention in its preferred form we wish it to be understood that it is not so limited but that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a marking machine of the class described having a printing station for printing identifiable indicia on a tag and means for applying said tag to an article, said printing station including one or more printing rolls having differing indicia arranged on the periphery thereof and indicia changing means for moving one or more of said printing rolls to a changed indicia position, said machine having a support for a list sheet, the combination of an automatic indicia changing mechanism comprising a rotary solenoid having a predetermined rotary stroke and a central shaft rotatable therewith, a linkage operably connecting said shaft to said indicia changing means, and an electric circuit including said rotary solenoid comprising a source of direct current, a capacitor in parallel with 'said rotary solenoid, and a switch between said capacitor and solenoid, said capacitor when said switch is open accumulating direct current voltage, and when said switch is closed discharging said direct current voltage to said rotary solenoid to move at least one of said printing rolls to a changed indicia position, the operation of said switch being controlled by placement of the list sheet on said su ort.

2. A marking'machine according to claim 1 having means for applying said tag to an article to be grouped with articles bearing the same indicia and wherein the support for the list sheet has a list mounting means for receiving and retaining said sheet listing the articles to be successively marked with the same identifiable indicia, said switch between said capacitor and said rotary solenoid being positioned on said support and operable on insertion of the list sheet in said mounting means to cause said printing rolls to move to a changed indicia position.

3. A marking machine according to claim 1 having means for applying said tag to an article to be grouped with articles bearing the same indicia and wherein the support for the list sheet has a list mounting means for receiving and retaining said sheet listing the articles to be successively marked with the same identifiable indicia, said switch between said capacitor and said rotary solenoid being positioned on said support and operable upon removal of the list sheet from said mounting means to cause said printing rolls to move to a changed indicia position.

4. A marking machine according to claim 2 wherein the list mounting means comprises a clip board having a spring-actuated clamp and a gripping edge for holding the list of articles to be marked, said clamp edge having a cut-out portion of sufiicient size to accommodate said switch without actuating the same, said clamp edge upon insertion of the said list cooperating with the same to actuate said switch.

5. A marking machine according to claim 1 wherein said indicia changing means includes a ratchet on one of said printing rolls, a spring actuated pawl engaging said ratchet and a movable lever for actuating said pawl to move said printing roll, said lever being connected to said linkage and actuated by said rotary solenoid to move at least one of said printing rolls to a changed indicia position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,232 10/1946 Wesely 101-95 2,672,810 3/1954 Keuper 101-95 2,528,740 11/1950 'Carothers et al 10'195 2,672,810 3/1954 Keuper 10l-95 2,821,122 l/1958 Long 9388 3,086,429 4/1963 Braun et al. 93-88 3,095,787 7/1963 Cor-nwell et a1. 9388 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,327,625 June 27, 1967 Howard Youngquest et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 12, "indentifiable" should read identifiable Column 3, line 11, "he" should read the line 31, "connection" should read connecting Column 4, line 64, "When" should read With Column 6, line 55, cancel "2,672,810 3/1954 Keuper--l0l-95", and insert 2,482,420 9/1949 Keuper --10l95 Signed and sealed this 12th day of August 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. 

1. IN A MARKING MACHINE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED HAVING A PRINTING STATION FOR PRINTING IDENTIFIABLE INDICIA ON A TAG AND MEANS FOR APPLYING SAID TAG TO AN ARTICLE, SAID PRINTING STATION INCLUDING ONE OR MORE PRINTING ROLLS HAVING DIFFERING INDICIA ARRANGED ON THE PERIPHERY THEREOF AND INDICIA CHANGING MEANS FOR MOVING ONE OR MORE OF SAID PRINTING ROLLS TO A CHANGED INDICIA POSITION, SAID MACHINE HAVING A SUPPORT FOR A LIST SHEET, THE COMBINATION OF AN AUTOMATIC INDICIA CHANGING MECHANISM COMPRISING A ROTARY SOLENOID HAVING A PREDETERMINED ROTARY STROKE AND A CENTRAL SHAFT ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A LINKAGE OPERABLY CONNECTING SAID SHAFT TO SAID INDICIA CHANGING MEANS, AND AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID ROTARY SOLENOID COMPRISING A SOURCE OF DIRECT CURRENT, A CAPACITOR IN PARALLEL WITH SAID ROTARY SOLENOID, AND A SWITCH BETWEEN SAID CAPACITOR AND SOLENOID, SAID CAPACITOR WHEN SAID SWITCH IS OPEN ACCUMULATING DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE, AND WHEN SAID SWITCH IS CLOSED DISCHARGING SAID DIRECT CURRENT VOLTAGE TO SAID ROTARY SOLENOID TO MOVE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PRINTING ROLLS TO A CHANGED INDICIA POSITION, THE OPERATION OF SAID SWITCH BEING CONTROLLED BY PLACEMENT OF THE LIST SHEET ON SAID SUPPORT. 